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Tuesday, December 1, 2009

A Little More Hopeful

"Peaceful, Snowy Christmas" by B, December 2008

Every December for the past three years, my son has gone to the ‘Share’ drawer of his allowance box and retrieved a collection of one dollar bills that has been growing over the course of the year. This year, his younger sister was inducted into the fun with her own, slightly smaller, collection of bills.

The sum doesn’t amount to anything earth-shattering - maybe thirty to forty dollars. We then head out on what has become one of our favorite shopping trips of the year.

We look for puzzles, drawing paper, colorful pens, pencils, and crayons, play-doh, sporty Hot Wheels cars (for the boys!), Hello Kitty jewelry (for the girls!), cozy socks, and whatever else strikes us as something that might be fun or useful for the patients at one of our local children’s hospitals or for the kids that will be chosen as part of Operation Christmas Child.

Our children get to choose the cause. And, while we may gently guide them to certain aisles of the store or give them little ideas, it is their money and, ultimately, their choice of gifts.

Every day, I give thanks for two healthy children and pray for children whose health, wellness, and safety have become battlefields they face daily. The little friend who is on his eighth round of chemotherapy for a brain tumor; the young classmate who lost all of her beautiful curls to the poisons trying to kill the leukemia; and the innocent toddler who can’t yet defend himself against a parent’s anger and lack of self-control.

I feel helpless. I can’t take the cancer away and I can’t shield them from being hurt by someone who is supposed to protect them. So I pray … alone, and then with my children, so they gain a sense of appreciation for being healthy and safe, and a desire to help those who are struggling with the opposite.

That desire to help is what our shopping trip is all about. After they have made their purchases, we drive to the hospital or the designated Operation Christmas Child drop-off site, where they pass the treasures along to a representative of the organization.

We don’t get to see any of the children that receive the toys, but we hope the gifts bring smiles and glimpses of joy to their faces on Christmas morning. Our gifts may be small in number, but they are a tangible way of feeling just a little less helpless and a little more hopeful. And, they are a way to celebrate love and generosity … the true spirit of Christmas.

23 comments:

My girls fill the Samaritan purses boxes each year too. Each year they put a note in with their address hoping that they'll receive a letter back but they haven't yet. We still keep giving though, they know the need is out there.

What a beautiful post. To be able to put a smile on one child's face, fill the empty space in one person's heart and tummy, to be able to give comfort to one animal who was left alone in the cold...those are my chosen abilities...I am so happy to hear that you and your family have those abilities, too. How blessed are you! Thanks for stopping by my place today and leaving a sweet comment. I'm all about new friends.Sandi

That is wonderful. We donate toys and clothes each year, but I've never had the kids give their own money towards a charity. What a meaningful shopping trip, too. Thank you for the idea, and thank you for raising great kids!

My son puts $2 of his $10 monthly allowance dollars in a give envelope. We send it at the end of the year to help our sponsor child in Rwanda (well, mommy and daddy help out too). This year we are buying him and his family a mattress (my son's choice).

Welcome!

Thanks for stopping by to visit my blog! I am an Operations and Human Resources Manager who decided to follow a long-time dream of becoming a picture book author. I also love telling a story with pictures, and am often seen with camera in-hand. I live in the beautiful state of Oregon with my amazing husband, son, and daughter, and a sweet, stubborn, little spaz of a Yorkie who has us all wrapped around his little paw!